Signaling system for elevators



April 25, 1933.

JAMES SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR ELEVATORS Filed Aug. 14. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Henry D.James ATTORNEY April 25, 1933. H. D. JAMES SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR ELEvAToRs Filed Aug. 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvENToR He nrY D James ATTRNEY Patented Apr. 25, 1933 L UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ,HENRY D. JAMES.OE EnGEwOoD, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC e MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA ASIGNALINC: yS'YS'IIlLll/I FOR ELEVATORS My invention relates to signaling systems for elevator "installations, and more particularly to such signaling systems. as embody means disposed in the cars for registering the u 'floors at which passengers Vdesire to leave them vand Operating stop 4signals to indicate to the car attendants when to initiate a stopping operation to make the necessary stops.

One object of my invention is to provide a I signaling system of the character designated in whichthe greater part of the signaling apparatus may be mounted directly upon the elevator car. l

Y It is also an object of my invention toxpro- 7N vide a signalingsystem of the character indicated, in which a minimum amount of apparatus may be employed, and in which it will be necessary to close, at only one point, the circuit for operating the stop signal-s.

- Il) Other objects of the invention will,in part,

be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter. y

For an illustration of one of the various form-s my invention may take, reference may behad to the accompanying drawings, in

which:

Figure l is a view, in vertical cross-section, ofa push-button signal-operating mechanism mounted in the wall of an elevator car *3b and lelectrically connected to an elevator- '35 Fig. 3 is a view, in side elevation, of a modified form of the signal-.operating mechanism shown in Fig. l.` j y l Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, I have illustrated an elevator mechanism compris- 40 inga hoistingr drum overwhich passes a hoisting cable Ca, one end of which is attached to a suitable counterweight Civ and the other end of which may be attached to thc elevator car C, only a small portion of the wall of which is shown, j The hoisting drum D-is directly coupled to an'elevator motor EM, which is illustrated as of the shuntwound type having an armature EM and a separately-excited field winding EMF.

The control for the elevatormotor EM is of the variable-voltage or Vard-Leonard type, wherein a driving motor M of the shuntwound type, comprising an armature M and a shunt-field winding MF, has its armature M directly coupled to the armature G of a generator G'. 'lhe generator Gr is of `the variable-voltage compound-wound type comprisingthe armature G', a series-field wind- GF and a shunt-held winding GF. As shown, the armature G of the generator G is connected in loop circuit with the armature En of the elevator motor EM.

The shunt field winding EMF of the elevator motor EM may be excitedt'rom any suitable source of direct current and is shown as being connected directly across a power ysupply comprising the line conductors Ll andLQ. The generator driving` motor M is also shown as connected across the same power source; however, control apparatus for the motor M is omitted for the .sake of obtaining greater simplicity in thel drawings. K The direction of operation of the Velevator motor EM is controlled through the agency of an 11p-direction switch l and a down-direction switch` 2, the' functions of which are to r`supply the generator shunt-field windingGF with current in Oppositedirections to `cause the motor EMto move the elevator up'- wardly and downwardly, respectively.

The speed of the elevator motor EM is controlled through the agency of a speed relay 3. the function of which is to selectively include or exclude therefrom a resistor R that is associated with the generator shunt-field winding GF.

The energization of the 11p-direction switch 1, the `down-direction switch 2 and the speed relay 3 is controlled by the operation of a suitable car switch CS that may be mounted onlthe car` C to be operatedby an attendant thereon.

In order that stop signals may be given to the car attendant to indicate to him when he shouldcenter his car switch CS to bring the car to a stop at a Hoor landing to take on or let ott passengers. a signal-giving device, such as an electric lamp 11, is disposed in a suitable casingA 12 in the car.

When the passengers in the car call out momes decreet which they desire to get of, it is elling contact member 80, as the car al desirable to have some` means whereby the proaches the stop. car attendent, upon hearing such calls, may In order that the travelling block 34 may.

so that the signal be driven up und down, in correspondence as the car reaches with `the up and down movements of the cer lo w'wihm, "be C, www wesemwt im amendw1-A i attKe dtact members; it is mounted u isscrew- '4 for store them" 111 will be eans ispnovided threaded shaft35 thet'is rotetab y susgpgtrted om# 'pding o mi L ed in meff'c 12 in parel el relatinto thescrevmhread 9th andloth Boers. The hgttons ane so shsgx endextends` vthrough the block 34 v attendent may press to prevent'the Blockfmxgrotating and therec. antthe'; cerfelll out vby mit tefinehllong the shaft as the Y l y oand sheftrqtates. Qi restereups'ueh --ineuch Anysnitahle mens mlmheprovded-for 1,: lll1MP 11 *iR-bb Igw mating me @luft-ee mme the block-fm 1 the in aerdlneethsthetxlvelof the car., 'In memoir-the m. the F hevwuustmsdf;

' u ey desireto 4,2; ic la be'povidewforgmynumsheaveemeemnmq wiggmdm ai, atl-1 ted only a. screweghreafded s il. cfg,

A W Imm l Whl? wd 38am y a cable as. ogggin order The cabi-g 39 5 Trefmwy., sa ed from Y Empa' gimme.

are on o; of shafted a a l .y

' y dispod'mrcothe'skeuv 40 withfthecm $9 warmte hwhen the 'pushth b fmbloclrforrhqpmpe" 'ofk'eepmgthmw i 1. er". y mmbeysinposiumwengag'e any GPM ,f f. l v, f 1 them to rub overland athe contact mem# ghetPfWy bers'ofthe depressed? i ntacfmember blnruvels up andMmWwdmm-h msnm new. 4

thet'opef the hatchwey d in tension A e 14, trclgilong the l`i`|t` Vvthe `contact of the sheave and, consequently, willrotatesic e shuftf, therebygfcaiixsing'theiblock*34H0 trave! ggwrnly'fand dem j. nrdyin mman- *iff ner that'eorresponds andisptoportionsl, te 'Y h the movements of thec'ar past theloors whichl A itserves." `f- 15. y* Referring again 'to txfeontactmemher's 30., 3x32 and 33 on thebeck Miiewin'be W notdhitstensionspringllisoonnedtebe- ,n tween each of the contact members andlm`v s pushfbuttens buenos-ageam@y time, permit @l push-bttonsas'the f Sing rthe movements of the cer.

the up 1 bww che circuit for ligmmgm Pimulm'dcompleted by one of the' contaetr @by Prmdmg bess ,and sautent umm--` l ps and alsa feng-fthe stopsi .n.71 g thc .l Y, m et* its .upper ffii@ .WW

when the. cnr C is tomu #amending bers 3oy and 31 winfqomple 'a eimeieri .the poumon lighting the signalfrlamp 11, atthei thepusbbultcn point, sfthe cnr ppro'nehes the down e ma! xsefngeapeutevse- A vtion to its operative shshown, thetrevelig contattilwmber? en Q engeged bythe trav- 30 bisluewlrlwd at such peint on theblk 341 that it will engage a depressed push-button to complete a circuit for a stoppingr signal at the correct point, when the car is runnincr downwardly at a speed requiring a slow-down distance greater than the distance between two floors. The contact member 3l is mou-nted in such position on the block 34 that it will complete a circuit for a stop signal at one floor when the car is standing at the next floor above that at which the stop is to be made.

Likewise, the position of the contact member 33 is such that it will complete a circuit for an up stop signal when the car is running at high speed, while the position of the contact member 32 will cause it to complete a circuit for an up-stop signal for a floor when the car is standing at the Hoor next below.

In order to prevent the down contact members and 3l from completing circuits for down-stop signals while the car is going up, an insulating plate 42 isplaced on the upper side of each of these contact members so that the contact members on the compressed push buttons will rub against the insulating plates as the block 34 travels upwardly instead of against the conducting surface of `the contact members. A similar insulating plate is placed on theV underside of each of the contact members 32 and 33 to prevent these contact members from completing circuits for the up-stop signals as the car travels downwardly.

For the purpose of restoring the push buttons to their out positions after they have served to give a stop signal, I have placed on the central portion of the block 34 a camshape 'member 43 in position to engage a cam-shape member 44 that is mounted on the inner end of each of the push buttons. With this arrangement of the cooperating cams 43 and 44, when the travelling block 34 moves t downwardly, the contact members 30 and 31 will first rub over the contact member of an operated button and, subsequently, the camshape member 43 will engage the cam member 44 on that button and push the button outwardly to its"out7 position.

Similarly, when the travelling block 34 moves upwardly, the contact members 32 and 33 will first rub over the Contact member of a pressed button and then, subsequently, the cam-shape member 43 will engage the cam-shape member 44 of that button and push the button outwardly so th at it will be Vrestored to its out position. By referring' to F ig. 2, it will be observed that the cam members 43 and 44 are placed out ot line Vwith the contactmembers and, therefore,

vdo not interfere with the operation of the contact members.

The operation of the system may be understood best from a description oft-hc apparatus and the` circuits in connection with en assumed operation.

Assumingr that the elevator car is standinf:l at the l wer terminal 'and has taken on passengers toran up trip, then, in order to startthe car, the attendant moves the car switch CS in a counter-clockwise direction, thereby completing a circuit for energizing the rip-direction switch 1, to start the car, which circuit extends from the line conductor L2, through conductor 50, the contact members 51. 52 and 53 of the car switch CS, conductor 54, the coil of up-direction s itch l and conductors 55, 56 and 57, to supply conductor Ll.

The tip-direction switch l, upon'being energized, closes its contact members a and b, thus supplying` the generator winding GF with the excited field winding GF in one direction through a circuit which extends from the line conductor Ll, through concluetor 5T, Contact members a. of 11p-direction switch l, the `conductor 5S, winding GF, conductors and G0, the contact members b of lip-direction switch l, conductor Gl. resistor R and conduct-or 62, to supply conductor L2. The generator G, therefore, supplies current in the one diiection to the elevator motor armature EM to cause the elevator motor EM to move the car upwardly.

As the car moves upwardly, the attendant, to increaseits speed, moves the car switch CS farther in the counter-clockwise direction to engage the contact fingers G3, thereby completing a circuit for energizing the speed relay 3 extendinglr from line conductor L2. through conductor 50, the contact members 51, 52 and 63 it the car switch CS, conductor 64, the coil of relav 3, and conductor 65, to supply conductor L1.

The speed relay 3, upon being energized, operates to close its contact members a, thereby shuntinfg the resistor R from the generator field cilruit and increasingr the speed of the generator G and, therefore. the motor EM. l

Assumingr further that several of the passengers inthe car have notified the attendant that they `desire to get off at the 8th and 9th floors and that the attendant has pressed pushbuttons B8 and T19 to register such calls. Then. as the car approaches the 8th floor at high speed, the advance contact member 33, by reason of thc operation of the. travelling block through the cable 39 and theslieave 40, will engage the Contact member 24 of the push-button B8 and close a circuit for lighting the signal lamp l1 to notify the car attendant to center his car switch for the 8th floor stop, which circuit extends from supply conductor L1, through conductor 66, the Contact members ot' relay 3, conductors 67 and 68, the spring on contact member 33, contact members 33 and 24. conductor 69 the filament of' sifznal lamp lland conductor 70, to supply conductor L2.

- The contact members on the push buttons,

alwl as the oontactnllfibers on the travelling l34, -mybemadie ofrsuch site and BhBpoS-l'ill* of* theY cirf Y citfr thcslgildf forsueh periodes s "5 i ampliati-me hBSIRDf-Q j si "nl lghtll fashes', the at I tenflt whim the cer-vewtch GS to its cenl inthe drawings, thus l rm shuntjeld .wind- I- n i* thegenerat'ql-G 'and the i' motor to atop, thereby` causing t s Y tstopht the 8th-Hoor. wohin the pn B9 is in a 15 egbnnsed'oonditi'on, muse the attendent whelrn 'collier-a step at theth nu wes givenbyls pisengemthe conthct p n Vi TS2-fon the' block 3ft will rest (inthe ,Y A, -l'nunbelhki jthojcr, is'mq'kin'g l *o* *iwf-Stop mit @when er. meneame@ 1min 11l winmgjthe that is to bfmelt thee nbovegivhieh, circuit 1 "e1-menge "Wy Y 'l La of the inasmuch' as th'lsscontztf memben'w are when the travelling at high no' circuit for the lmp' 1,1 for ,Stop

e@ e 1mi 8th menthe travelf .n cnm-shspe mem'- on the push lmtipn B8 and restore tht p i telit!" normsl'tfpsition. Like- :v y when thewprim 1mi-vial the 9th f. ,1 mbt, the' Acluxmriliapo member 43 will engage AMon the phah button i toits norxnslout v ngfandzcoii :Hiding and witla load of s I that-fono A 6i the psengers calls ontistopfortburloor andlthat the car A mam'pmshejbumn `Bs for cheese neer, '.tneeen'taetlmembe 2410i thehun Y kvWin38willbeenglpgellbytheccutactlmramher 4 f on asatl'ie ca'r npproacl'es'the l.' :thigh s dfmdneircuitor lightingfthebmp the attendant e fte; eww'. w

' Y kcomlmtorm'l s111134 spring 41, contact *5 z :sogndghclument carstravels to the momen of the lam 11 and conductor 70, to suppl?,U

william, 2' h h l 1th receivingt e as signs. r e lamgtl. Afor making vthe down stop at a e 8th g floothenttendlntcentershis car switch and "70 'Y K thereby brings the carton stop at tht door.' As'fthe car' arrives levelwith that oor,'the fs cam-'shepe'member 43 enges the cam-sha. member 44' on thebutton 8 and pushes t e p Y i button B8 outwardly to restore it to its-in', active out position. we; AL cndnctor, marked with the j s, tooor button'circits,s vided for coni neeting my improved Si circuit with the usual Hoor-button signal. circuits, for ex- 3 ample, such as are shown in the -patent to Y Smalleyetal.,No.634,%0.

In F' 3 of the drawin Ihave illustrated fe a modi cation of thepus- -button mechanism i shown nFig. 1 as applied to the pushlbutto .Wim

BI. "inthe modi ed'construction,rafpair of members 78 s111179, for completing g thec'trcuit to operate the Vsignal lamp 11,are

moim upon a pair of arms 80 and 81 ,-on the inner' end of the push-buttonvshaft 13. Th

armSU'ispivotallyconnectedltothefshaft*13' e so that it may yhe moved to close the contact Y members? 8 and 79. #A compression spring 83 is placed between the Contact arms 80 4and 81 to bisthe contact members to' an openlfposi tion. o o

"We means for closing the contact members 78 and 79* when the Push button B1 islpressed i, to itsin position, comprigsagmlmt that i isdis 80 in such Vposition that, whenthe button B1 I s is pr inwardly it wiil-ibe in-thepath ofi n plurality noted that 'the opereting car gsiup.

1t he of operating-@lingers '30', ,313-

, and {83orrthe travellnlgblock 34, :i:

are pivotllymounted on the' block 34,' and f held in an engaging'positon by the spring 41. A'pint 86 is placed below each of the ngersO nd 311to hold" them ingu rigid position when they engge roller 8401i! y Las! downftrp, thereby eusing their vmovement reletive to the roller to push the roller and the cpnhctmember 79Vinwardly tn -e n vf. the contactmember 78. "Innamuchas no is provided :on the opper side`VA of the and 31', these ngersgwill .drag over rollerx on an up tripwhen the push-huh-L Nfl,

ton is in itsfin position. ,Similar Pins are placed above the up fingers 32 ,33'

to enlise, themto operate thecontact a:

78 and 79 only'on up trips. Y

The means for restoring the push button B1 to its out position eomprises the cam' shape members 43 and 44, the same as illustrated in Fig. 1.

In operating the modified structure, let it be assumed that the push-button is pressed from its out position to its in position by the attendant to register a call for an up stop, then the inward movement of the push button carries the contact members 7 8 and 79 inwardly Where the roller 84 `is disposed in the path of the operating iingers on the travelling block 34. As the block 34 moves past the push button in the up direction, the fingers 33 and 32 will engage the roller 84, thereby closing the contact members 78 and 79 and completing the circuit for lighting the signal lamp l1. As shown, the circuit from the contact members 7 8 and 7 9 may be connected through the contact members b and c of the speed relay 3, as illustrated in Fig. l, to provide for indicating, while the car is running, that a Stop is to be made or, While the car is standing at one floor, that a stop is to be made at the next floor.

It will, therefore, be seen that I have provided a mechanism for operating a car-button-stop-signal system that is simple in operation, is easily maintained in working order and has a minimum number of parts and requires a. minimum number of contact members for closing the signal-lamp circuits.

While I have illustrated and described only two specific embodiments of my invention, I realize that it is susceptible of Wide application and I do not desire to be limited to the precise constructions illustrated and described.

I claim as my invention:

1. A signaling system for an elevator car operable past a plurality of floors comprising a signal device on the elevator car common to all of said floors for indicating to an attendant when stops are to be made at the fioors, a plurality of circuits for operating said signal device, one for each floor, each of said circuits having a single opening therein, a plurality of floor contact members, one for each circuit, manually-operated means for selectively moving said contact members into active position and a cooperating traveling contact member, said contact members and said manually operated means being disposed on said elevator car, and means operable correspondingly to movements of the car for moving said traveling contact member into engagement with the operated floor Contact members to successively close the openings in the circuits corres onding to the ioors at which stops are to e made.

2. A signaling system for an elevator car operable past a plurality of floors comprising a signal device on said car common to all of said iioors for indicating to an attendant that a stop is to be made, a contact member for each Hoor, a plurality of circuits for said signal device, one for each floor contact member, manually operated means for selectively actuating said floor contact members from an out position to an operative in position, means for temporarily retaining each of said fioor contact members in either its out or its in position and a traveling contact member, said manui HENRY D. JAMES. 

